3/29/2011 @ 3:22PM

Nokia Launches Patent Suit Salvo At Apple

Nokia
announced on Tuesday that it is suing
Apple
for infringing upon its patents for mobile phones, portable music players, computers and tablets.

This has not been the first time the two rivals have battled over patent disputes, and litigation is becoming increasingly common among manufacturers of smartphones.

The current lawsuit alleges that
Apple
stole “pioneering innovations…to create key features in its products, including in multitasking operating systems, data synchronization, positioning, call quality, and the use of Bluetooth accessories.”

Apple shares are lower by about half a percent in early afternoon trading;
Nokia
shares are about even.